And then There was Hope
by DMarEssence
Summary: Never underestimate the power of healing. Set during the Dark Tournament, Hiei realizes that perhaps devoiding oneself of love for too long can make you ache for it. Hiei/OC


Cranked this puppy out in a day because I was sooo inspired! I love being inspired.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I did create Setsuki! I'm so proud of myself.

_Setsuki: Japanese name meaning 'Pain of Feeling.'_

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Setsuki ran out of the arena after Team Urameshi, battling to get through the hoards of demons and such that were moping about the stadium.

"I can't believe the humans beat the Jolly Devil Six! What a load of wimps!"

Tsuki rolled her eyes and pushed through the crowd, her small frame finding it rather difficult to shoulder past some of the less tolerant of the spectators.

"Watch where yer goin'!" The underbelly of demon society filtered out through the gates before the second round of match-ups.

The motley underdog team of humans and demons alike; team Urameshi, was loitering out in the woods while they recalled the events of the last round.

"Yusuke! W-where's Hiei?" Concern was prevalent on the girl's face.

"Quiet girl, I'm trying to talk to these idiots, and its hard enough without you interrupting me, got it?" the masked fighter snapped, pulling the team leader, Urameshi Yusuke down by his ear so she could talk some sense into him.

Setsuki pushed her sweeping indigo bangs out of her eyes in search for the fire demon. She was a healer, not a tracker, and it was expressly important she find the Jagaan wielder after the little stunt he pulled to get rid of that bone head Zeru.

"He headed that way."

Kurama set his hand on Setsuki's shoulder and pointed off towards the shoreline of the island. The Dark Tournament had to be small and secluded so that human's wouldn't stumble on it accidentally (not that it really stopped anyone before). But right now it felt un-navigable.

"Thanks Kurama," she bowed shortly before attempting to race off again.

"Setsuki, wait a moment," the red-haired fox demon beckoned, taking her away from the berating of Kuwabara and Yusuke.

"Is everything all right?" she asked him concerned, tracing him for wounds. Thankfully, Kurama was one patient who normally cared for himself. His skill and prowess with plants normally had him alleviate his own ailments.

"Be careful when you're pursuing Hiei. I know you're a master of detecting emotion, but realize that there is a reason he shields himself."

Setsuki nodded knowingly. Hiei had kept to himself for so long, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to persuade him to confide in her, but she was going to try.

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Running over the oncoming confrontation in her mind, Tsuki sighed.

_Who knows what kind of mind-set he'll be in when I meet him!_

She knew the demon was finicky at best and his temperament while stoic, was unpredictable.

The waves washed over his body again and again, the salt licking at the scorched, peeled skin, a torrent mixture of pain and soothing.

His arm literally felt like it was withering away as he clamped his bicep to keep the throbbing at bay.

"Hiei?" Setsuki ventured, stepping daintily from rock to rock so that she could get out to where the demon was situated.

He began to growl before she even neared him.

Setsuki was painfully controlled by the feelings of those around her. She was the epitome of an empath* demon, so one of her essential abilities was to soothe the pain of others through her healing abilities.

"Hiei, let me help you-" the soft-spoken girl began, reaching out towards the seething fire demon.

"I don't need help, especially not from you. It'll be fine by tomorrow," he snorted, standing up and trying to compose himself. He knew he couldn't feign a peaceful mind around her, especially not when there was this much pain coursing through his body, but he'd be damned if he didn't try.

"Please! I know it hurts!" Setsuki cried, blinking the tears out of her eyes. Just sensing the anguish that he was hiding behind his cruel façade had her eyes overflowing. Pain racked her body as she touched his shoulder and felt the full fledge of it.

The moment she did though, she absorbed it away from Hiei, who nearly slumped over in exasperation. To have such a weight lifted from him in an instant made him realize what she'd done.

"You fool! You'll never be able to stand the power-"

But Setsuki had already crumpled, her eyelids drooping as she tried to keep unconsciousness from over-taking her.

"You'll be hard-pressed to find a pain that I couldn't handle," she whispered, sitting up on her elbows and trying to shake the weakness away.

_I would withstand anything for you._

Tsuki locked gazes with the fire demon, who stood over her skeptically.

"Hn, what do you want?" Hiei snorted, crossing his arms as a wave washed over the two. Setsuki sat up and blinked at him.

"N-nothing I was just-" she averted her dark eyes and blushed.

"Spit it out. It's not often that I'm willing to listen to the wishes of others. Tell me what you want."

Tsuki was stunned, but embarrassed to have her wish fulfilled.

"I don't have all day. You've done me a service, so-"

"Anything?"

"You try my patience-"

"A kiss."

Hiei was stunned to silence. His tendency to emotionally withdraw himself left him without an experience in the art of love, or acts of such frivolous endearment. All he knew was the primordial lust that sometimes needed to be satiated and quenched by either his own hand or the service of a low class demon whore.

The more he dwelled on the idea, the more he narrowed his eyes at the empath demon before him who gazed up innocently from beneath her intruding bangs.

"Hn… fine."

Although the fire demon would never admit it, he strangely craved the affections of this well-meaning, honest-faced girl.

Sestuki stepped her 4' 11" frame closer to Hiei and tilted her chin up expectantly.

Her sweet, cool breath blew right on his neck as he reached one hand up to grasp the girl's neck, bringing her mouth closer to his.

The heated skin of the Jagaan wielder's lips pressed lightly against the gentle, awaiting mouth below him.

One of the strange abilities of an empath, however, is their ability to transfer emotions. Soon, a feeling of joy and completion flowed into Hiei, one that he'd never experienced before in his long, tainted life.

Being conflicted with the burden of both his fire and ice halves left Hiei with enough scorn and abandonment to last a lifetime. Now, the attraction of polar opposites was once more at hand; the unyielding love of the violet, empathetic girl, intertwining with the darkness of the reclusive, demon fighter.

Setsuki felt the cold, empty terrain of Hiei's heart warmed by the purity of her spirit, but at the same time, she felt embarrassed that she had given these emotions to him so unrestrainedly. When he didn't shut the intrusion out, however, Tsuki was relieved.

In a short moment, the contact was broken, and Tsuki's heart was left pounding as she pulled away, looking guilty.

Once again, the fire demon looked suspicious. This girl's aura, even after being so close to him, emanated sheer content. It was unusual unless…

"You have feelings for me."

_Love. Such a fickle, human emotion. _Hiei's mind was hastily trying to find the best arguments to talk this girl out of holding any emotion but reverence for him.

Picking up the cynicism in Hiei's voice as he said it made Setsuki fervent.

"If you honestly hadn't given it any thought, you wouldn't have connected to me like you did. You chose to open up your pathos-"

"Enough," the dark demon spoke wearily. "It's time to go back for the second match."

When Setsuki didn't move, Hiei growled. Somehow he must've offended the girl.

"If I tell you there's hope will you stop this childishness?"

"Yes."

"Then there's hope, now let's go."

Inspired by the idea that her secret pining was not going to go unnoticed any longer, Tsuki followed Hiei back towards the arena.

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"What took you so long?" Yusuke whined as the two came back into the view of team Urameshi.

"I bet Hiei couldn't resist Tsuki's girlish charms. They were probably mixing it up in the underbrush-" Kuwabara snickered, before receiving a thorough whomp on the head by the irritated fire demon.

Kurama had known Hiei for a long time, and never before had he seen his friend blush at such a statement, though he doubted that the two had actually been fornicating in the forest.

As they reentered the arena, Tsuki walked beside Hiei, perhaps closer than the fox demon had ever seen the Jagaan wielder allow.

_Perhaps there __**is **__hope after all…_

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*empath: _Something I pretty much made up. If you didn't get it from the name however, it just means someone who feels the emotions of others.

I wrote this after my dear friend Anna asked to borrow volumes 7-11 of Yu Yu Hakusho and was like: I'm addicted to Hiei! It's a bit sentimental, but that's the kinda person I am! PLEASE REVIEW!

~Dmar


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